Dictionary

by the way en · ADP

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

First appeared in the 10th century with literal meaning "by the side of the road", from Old English weġ (which became "way") meaning "road". Soon afterward (circa 1000) it came to mean "during one's journey". The figurative meaning developed in the mid-16th century, with the first instance of the modern meaning being from 1614.

Meanings

1. (conjunctive, idiomatic) Incidentally; used in referencing a parenthetical statement not timely, central, or crucial to the topic at hand; foregone, passed by, something that has already happened.
   • His mother will be coming for dinner tomorrow, and, by the way, she recently sold her collection of ceramic eggs.
   • […] I had counted on a life-lease of the profits, whereas I only received those of a few short years. But this is by the way. 1853, Herman Melville, “Bartleby, the Scrivener”, in The Piazza Tales, New York: Dix, Edwards & Co, published 1856:
   • “A very welcome, kind, useful present, that means to the parish. By the way, Hopkins, let this go no further. We don't want the tale running round that a rich person has arrived. Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing.[…]” 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

Forms

Synonyms

apropos · by the by · BTW · incidentally

Translations (127)

no forresten (incidentally) · ko 참 (incidentally) · es a todo esto (incidentally) · et muideks (incidentally) · ajp على فكرة (incidentally) · el επ’ ευκαιρία (incidentally) · he אַגַּב (incidentally) · uk до ре́чі (incidentally) · sh у̀спӯт (incidentally) · pt diga-se de passagem (incidentally) · el επί τη ευκαιρία (incidentally) · acw على فكرة (incidentally) · af terloops (incidentally) · gl a propósito (incidentally) · acw بِالْمُنَاسَبة (incidentally) · cy gyda llaw (incidentally) · ru ме́жду про́чим (incidentally) · ur ویسے (incidentally) · mk па́тем ре́чено (incidentally) · hu egyébként (incidentally) · arz بالمناسبة (incidentally) · sh ùspūt (incidentally) · is meðal annarra orða (incidentally) · yue 講開又講 /讲开又讲 (incidentally) · nl nu dat ik eraan denk (incidentally) · gd eadar dhà sheanchas (incidentally) · vi tiện thể (incidentally) · de nebenbei (incidentally) · pt já agora (incidentally) · ka სხვათა შორის (incidentally) · ro apropo (incidentally) · es por cierto (incidentally) · sjd са̄нна (incidentally) · es hablando de todo un poco (incidentally) · es hablando un poco de todo (incidentally) · he דרך אגב (incidentally) · ru кста́ти (incidentally) · de apropos (incidentally) · pl przy okazji (incidentally) · sq meqë ra fjala (incidentally) · ja ちなみに (incidentally) · fr tout bien considéré (incidentally) · pl (a) tak w ogóle (incidentally) · ar عَلَى فِكْرَةٍ (incidentally) · tr sırası gelmişken (incidentally) · yi אַגבֿ־אורחא (incidentally) · gl por certo (incidentally) · sv förresten (incidentally) · lt beje (incidentally) · ba әйткәндәй (incidentally) · pl na marginesie (incidentally) · scn appassissì (incidentally) · bg между́ дру́гото (incidentally) · nl trouwens (incidentally) · nl tussen haakjes (incidentally) · uk між і́ншим (incidentally) · da for resten (incidentally) · pt aliás (incidentally) · pt a propósito (incidentally) · da forresten (incidentally) · ar بِالْمُنَاسَبَةِ (incidentally) · sl mímogredé (incidentally) · fi muuten (incidentally) · es de paso (incidentally) · eo cetere (incidentally) · lt tarp kitko (incidentally) · rsk драгом (incidentally) · ja ところで (incidentally) · vi à này (incidentally) · sh у̏згре̄д (incidentally) · bg впро́чем (incidentally) · rsk най и то повем (incidentally) · hi वैसे (incidentally) · yi אַגבֿ (incidentally) · et muuhulgas (incidentally) · acw تَرَى (incidentally) · ga dála an scéil (incidentally) · yue 話時話 /话时话 (incidentally) · hu mellesleg (incidentally) · hy ի դեպ (incidentally) · pl nawiasem mówiąc (incidentally) · et muuseas (incidentally) · pl à propos (incidentally) · tr aklıma gelmişken (incidentally) · lv starp citu (incidentally) · ca per cert (incidentally) · fr au fait (incidentally) · fr soit dit en passant (incidentally) · sh ȕzgrēd (incidentally) · nl terloops gezegd (incidentally) · es a propósito (incidentally) · fr au passage (incidentally) · gd eadar dà sgeul (incidentally) · mk па́тем (incidentally) · sk mimochodom (incidentally) · es dicho sea de paso (incidentally) · oc dich siá en passant (incidentally) · fr d'ailleurs (incidentally) · la cēterum (incidentally) · it incidentalmente (incidentally) · cmn 話說 /话说 (incidentally) · cmn 對了 /对了 (incidentally) · te అన్నట్టు (incidentally) · hy իմիջիայլոց (incidentally) · fa راستی (incidentally) · tr bu arada (incidentally) · id ngomong ngomong (incidentally) · vi nhân đây (incidentally) · ko 그런데 (incidentally) · be дарэ́чы (incidentally) · cs mimochodem (incidentally) · pt por sinal (incidentally) · nl overigens (incidentally) · wa vormint (incidentally) · az sözü gəlmişkən (incidentally) · is vel á minnst (incidentally) · it per caso (incidentally) · de übrigens (incidentally) · az yeri gəlmişkən (incidentally) · et muide (incidentally) · eo parenteze (incidentally) · gl de paso (incidentally) · pl swoją drogą (incidentally) · sv för övrigt (incidentally) · it a proposito (incidentally) · fr à propos (incidentally) · sv bara så att du vet (incidentally)